1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a parameter supply apparatus for supplying a sound signal processor with configuration of sound signal processes performed by the sound signal processor and with parameters used for performing the sound signal processes, and relates to a program for allowing a computer to function as such parameter supply apparatus.
2. Related Art
As known conventionally, a sound signal processor constructs a sound signal processing module using a processor that can operate according to a program. In association with the sound signal processor, application software is executed on a computer such as an external PC (personal computer) so as to function as a controller. The sound signal processor carries out the sound signal processing based on the signal process configuration edited by using the computer. Such sound signal processor is referred to as a mixer engine in this application. The mixer engine can internally store the signal process configuration edited on the PC and independently process sound signals based on the stored signal process configuration.
When the signal process configuration is edited on the controller having a display, an edit screen graphically displays components constituting a signal process and states of line connection between input and output of the components during the editing process. The display is used to edit the signal process configuration in a visually and easily understandable manner. A user can edit the signal process configuration by arranging intended process components and establishing line connection between the arranged components. For example, DIGITAL MIXING ENGINE DME32 Instruction Manual, YAMAHA CORPORATION, 2001, pp. 23-75 provides description about such mixer engine and application software.
Since the mixer engine stores a plurality of configuration data, a user can selectively use one of these configurations. Conventionally, operation data indicates parameter values used to execute a sound signal process in association with each configuration data. The mixer engine stores the operation data as a scene in association with the configuration data. When executing the sound signal process associated with the configuration data, the mixer engine accepts a scene selected by the user and performs the sound signal process in accordance with the scene content.
In this case, a display screen is used to receive instructions for calling or saving scenes. The screen only displays scene numbers and scene names for the respective scenes.
There may be a need to change the configuration of the sound signal process to be performed in the mixer engine to another prestored configuration. In order to do so, according to the prior art as mentioned above, a user needs to first select new configuration data and then select operation data indicative of parameter setup values to be used for the process. Accordingly, changing the configuration requires sequentially selecting two types of data, thus degrading the operability. The inventors have solved this problem and developed the system in which selecting a scene can select both configuration data and operation data at a time. The inventors have submitted the patent application about this invention (Jpn. Pat. Appln. No. 2004-610847, unpublished).
When a scene is designed to contain information about reference to both configuration data and operation data, there is an increasing demand for items to be edited or referenced for not only configuration data and operation data, but also the scene itself. Such demand cannot be satisfied by the conventional user interface that displays only a scene number or a scene name for each scene. Accordingly, from the user's viewpoint, there is a limited degree of freedom in editing scenes or referencing information. The operability is degraded during scene editing. When a created scene is called, its content cannot be fully referenced. Depending on cases, it is difficult to quickly call an intended scene. The operability is also degraded with this respect.